PrintMEMO TO MAILERS - FEBRUARY 2006 (text)
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
VOLUME 41 NUMBER 2
FEBRUARY 2006
WHAT'S INSIDE
TOOLS FOR MAILERS
CATALOGS ON THE MOVE
NPF REGISTRATION FORM
POSTAL NEWS BRIEFS
KEEPING POSTED
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NATIONAL POSTAL FORUM: MAIL MAKES IT HAPPEN
Want to improve your business’ bottom line? Mail makes it happen. And you can learn how to make it happen at the nation’s premier mailing industry trade show, the National Postal Forum (NPF).
The 2006 NPF will be held April 2–5 at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Orlando, FL. The annual event is expected to attract more than 6,500 participants.
“Through this year’s Forum offerings, participants will learn how to use mail as a total customer relations management tool,” says USPS Vice President of Customer Service Susan Plonkey. “Participants will be shown how to enhance their marketing acquisitions by using the mail to stay in touch with customers, as well as how to use the mail as an effective advertising medium.”
The NPF will offer workshops, symposiums, networking opportunities, the industry’s largest exhibit hall and keynote addresses by Postmaster General John E. Potter and baseball Hall of Famer and former Baltimore Oriole Cal Ripkin, Jr. A closing night banquet and private concert by southern rock band Little Feat will cap off the four-day event.
The Forum provides education to business mailers and an opportunity for a dialog between USPS and its business customers with the goal of strengthening the mail communications system.
Find more information about NPF and a registration form in this issue of Memo to Mailers.
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MUST-HAVE TOOLS FOR MAILERS
They’re easy to understand. They let you know which mailing options best meet your mailing needs. They’re handy tools for consumers and businesses. And they’ve been updated to reflect recent price changes.
A Customer’s Guide to Mailing and An Introduction to Mailing for Businesses and Organizations, developed by the Pricing and Classification group at the Postal Service, are essential “go-to” guides for information about USPS products and services.
A Customer’s Guide to Mailing contains valuable information about all retail products and services. It has useful tips on how to address mail correctly, prepare packages, add extra services, calculate postage and print shipping labels online. Spanish- and Chinese-language versions reach out to diverse market segments.
An Introduction to Mailing for Businesses and Organizations informs small- to medium-volume business mailers about retail, business mail and online mailing options. It answers commonly asked questions such as: "What are the advantages of each mailing option? When are bulk mailing fees required? How do I use reply mail to grow my business? Where do I find address list information? What are my postage payment options?"
An Introduction to Mailing for Businesses and Organizations is an important source for new business customers who want to know how to use the mail to reach customers.
In addition to A Customer’s Guide to Mailing and An Introduction to Mailing for Businesses and Organizations, the Pub 95, Quick Service Guide, a step-by-step guide for all of our business mailing options, also has been updated to include the new prices that became effective Jan. 8, 2006.
Look for A Customer’s Guide to Mailing and An Introduction to Mailing for Businesses and Organizations at your Post Office or go online to www.usps.com. These publications and other important resources for business mailers are available on Postal Explorer at pe.usps.com.
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INFO@USPS
SMALL BUSINESS TOOLS
Get new customers.
Meet customer demands.
Around town or around the world.
www.usps.com
SIMPLE FORMULAS
Use the mail to grow your business.
Order a Simple Formulas kit.
800-THE-USPS, ext. AD4433
SEND MAIL FROM YOUR PC
Send postcards, letters,
flyers, booklets or greeting cards.
www.usps.com/netpost
THE POSTAL STORE ONLINE
Open 24/7. Stamps.
Subscription services.
Digital scales.
www.usps.com/shop
SHIPPING INFORMATION
Express Mail, Priority Mail
and package support line.
800-222-1811
PRINT POSTAGE ONLINE
Your shipping label is just
a Click-N-Ship away.
www.usps.com/clicknship
CARRIER PICKUP ONLINE NOTIFICATION
From your home or office
at no extra charge.
www.usps.com/pickup
QUESTIONS?
Rates and mailing information.
ZIP Codes. Post Office locations.
Much, much more.
800-ASK-USPS
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CATALOGS MOVE WITH CUSTOMERS
People who are planning to move can stay connected to their favorite catalog mail.
Catalog Request Card Service allows consumers the option of directly informing catalog retailers of their new addresses.
Requested catalogs can include those that the consumers already receive as well as those they would like to get from retailers.
Since catalogs are not forwarded through the usual change-of-address process, this service helps mailers stay connected to their customers — and acquire new ones — during a time period when consumers tend to make a lot of purchases.
Today’s consumers enjoy shopping from catalogs because it allows them the flexibility to shop where and when they want. According to Imagitas, the Postal Service’s partner in this program, consumers spend an average of $7,100 on relocation-related goods in the weeks following a move.
“That’s why we’re providing this service — so that people can have their favorite catalogs on hand when they’re needed most, to organize their homes quickly and easily when it’s convenient for them,” said Charlie Bravo, senior vice president for USPS Intelligent Mail and Address Quality.
Available through MoversGuide Online since mid-September, the Catalog Request Card Service is now also available through the printed Mover’s Guide found in Post Offices.
Easy to use, the service currently provides options for 19 catalog retailers, including Coldwater Creek, HP Shopping, Lands’ End, Plow & Hearth, Pottery Barn, The Sharper Image, Smith + Noble and Spiegel. The program already has generated requests for more than 3.1 million catalogs.
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WHERE TO DROP AND WHEN
Savvy mailers know they can save money in their postage budgets by working with the U.S. Postal Service and making drop shipments to the appropriate bulk mail center (BMC), sectional center facility (SCF) or destination delivery unit (DDU).
But how do they know which one to utilize and when the facility is available to them?
- The most convenient way is to consult USPS’ Drop Ship Product, which contains four important files to assist mailers in making drop shipments.
- The Drop Ship Address File contains USPS facility address, telephone number, discount type and a drop site key.
- The Drop Ship ZIP CIN (content identifier number) file contains ZIP Codes, carrier routes, CIN and discount codes and a drop site key.
- Drop Ship Parcel Select, which is for parcels only, contains the ZIP Code, DDU key and Destination Sectional Center Facility key.
- The Drop Ship Supplemental Site portion of the product contains dock information, processing hours and directions to the drop ship facilities.
Having all these resources at your fingertips is a fantastic way to save time and money when doing drop shipments of any size.
The Drop Ship Product is updated monthly and available only from the National Customer Support Center (NCSC) in Memphis, TN. To obtain current pricing information, please contact the NCSC at 800-238-3150.
NEW DROP SHIP LOCATION FOR PHILADELPHIA, PA
The new Philadelphia Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC) is now accepting mailer drop shipments.
Beginning Feb. 15, all drop shipments for Philadelphia, PA 190 must be entered at this P&DC, located at 7500 Lindbergh Boulevard.
Drop ship appointments are available daily from 7 a.m. to midnight. To schedule an appointment through the Facility Access and Shipment Tracking System (FAST), use NASS Code 19176. Drop shipments destined to BMC Philadelphia, PA are not affected by the opening of this new plant.
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POSTAL NEWS BRIEFS
CUSTOMER SUPPORT FOR INTERNATIONAL MAIL
Customers who need information on the status of their international mail items — including Global Express Guaranteed, Global Express Mail, Registered, insured or any parcel post item — can get it by calling 800-222-1811.
Customers simply call the number and provide their mailing receipt number and sender and addressee information along with the date of mailing. The international inquiry center will take care of the rest and notify the customer of the status of their item.
Now that’s quick, easy and convenient.
“This is another way of advancing our strategy to provide reliable, convenient and easy-to-use services,” said International Products Manager Janet Mitchell. “Making it easier to access information about international mail items will improve our customers’ experience.”
Need more information on Global Delivery Services from the Postal Service? Go to www.usps.com.
ONLINE SHORTCUT TO USPS.COM
Introducing — My Desktop Post Office, an online shortcut to the USPS.com features used most by small businesses.
My Desktop Post Office gives customers one-click access to print shipping labels, request a carrier pickup — even create Direct Mail. And, because it’s customizable, customers can add or remove features to suit their needs.
My Desktop Post Office can be downloaded at usps.com/smartbusiness on USPS.com.
TECHNOLOGY AIDS EMPLOYEES
The U.S. Postal Service — one of the nation’s largest employers of people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing — is offering new technology to allow its employees to better communicate with each other.
Two types of video interpreting services are being installed at postal facilities across the country, allowing approximately 4,000 postal employees who are deaf or hard-of-hearing to communicate with supervisors, co-workers and others in real-time without having to bring in on-site interpreters or rely on text-based telephone systems.
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KEEPING POSTED
News from and for Postal Customer Councils | www.usps.com/nationalpcc
INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
The Miami-Dade County Postal Customer Council (PCC) recently was visited by James Wade, vice president of USPS International Business, and Luz Stella Paez Canon, director general for Colombia’s ADPOSTAL, who was touring the South Florida District to learn more about USPS operations.
“We are focusing on international business and seeing the trends that are coming in the future,” Wade told the PCC.
“Establishing an international global postal delivery network is the direction that we are going and will continue to focus on.”
During meetings in Bogota, Colombia, this past November, ADPOSTAL and USPS signed an Express Mail Service pay-for-performance agreement that would ensure quality of service for Express Mail. This will assist the USPS in gaining a competitive edge in the international market by continuing to provide superior service and products to all of our customers.
“I personally mail packages frequently to Colombia,” said Audie Thompson, Miami-Dade County PCC Industry co-chair and materials management supervisor for Miami-Dade County. “Knowing what is going on in other countries and what changes are being made internationally to better the mail is favorable for everyone.”
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MEMO TO MAILERS
Volume 41 Number 2
Ilze Sella
Editorial Services
David Ostroff
Designer
Betty Shelton
Purchasing Specialist
John E. Potter
Postmaster General and CEO
Thomas G. Day
Senior Vice President, Government Relations
Azeezaly S. Jaffer
Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications
MEMO TO MAILERS
is published by U.S. Postal Service
Public Affairs and Communications.
USPS eagle symbol and logotype are
registered marks of the
United States Postal Service.
© 2006 United States Postal Service. The following are among the many trademarks owned by the United States Postal Service: USPS®, U.S. Postal Service®, United States Postal Service®, Postal Service™, Post Office™, Priority Mail®, Express Mail®, Standard Mail™, First-Class Mail®, Registered Mail™, Certified Mail™, Delivery Confirmation™, Signature Confirmation™, ZIP Code™, Click-N-Ship®, NetPost® and The Postal Store®. This list is not a comprehensive list of all Postal Service marks.
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MEMO TO MAILERS
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MEMO TO MAILERS
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